The present invention relates to a novel and useful film applicator device for use on a microplate, microtiter plate, or a wellplate.
Microtiter plates are used in analytical research and clinical diagnostic testing. For example, microtiter plates allow the conducting of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in the diagnostic testing of humans and animals. Microtiter plates typically have any number of samples of wells arranged in a generally rectangular matrix. Most common wellplate is the 96 well-microtiter plate. Analytical or diagnostic samples are placed in each of the wells of the microtiter plate to carry out filtration, separation, optical detection, storage, reaction mixing, cell culturing activities, and the like.
In certain cases, microtiter plates may be heat sealed with foil or clear film to prevent contamination, cross-contamination, and evaporation of materials therefrom. In the past, sheets of polymeric material or metallic foil have been placed over the open wells of the microtiter plates to achieve this result. Unfortunately, such plastic films are difficult to handle and to place atop a microtiter plate for sealing. This is due to the fact that such films are quite thin and tend to fold or wrinkle when handled.
In the past, devices have been developed to handle rolls of sheet material. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,878,457 and 5,940,921 have been employed in this regard in the removal of lint from cloth.
A film applicator device for use on a microtiter plate utilizing a roll of film material would be a notable advance in the clinical and analytical research field.